Renewable Energy Today articles from March 2006

Renewable Energy Today archives from March 2006

OH Governor Details New Pilot Incentive Program for Wind.
March 1, 2006... Ohio governor Bob Taft recently announced a new energy action plan, which looks to better align policies to meet the energy needs of the state's farms, businesses and families by building upon ongoing efforts to better utilize Ohio's natural...

Western Wind Energy Commences Commercial Production.
March 1, 2006... Western Wind Energy recently announced that it has begun taking payments from Southern California Edison for power produced at the Windridge Generating Facility in Tehachapi, CA. According to Western Wind, the company now owns an additional...

Sustainable Energy to Supply Inverter for Air Force Project.
March 1, 2006... Sustainable Energy Technologies, Ltd. recently announced that it will supply a 2.5-kilowatt, bi-directional backup power module to the U.S. Air Force for a solar energy project. According to Sustainable Energy, the company is operating as a...

MTC Seeks Lender to Manage Zero-Interest Solar Loan Fund.
March 1, 2006... The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) recently issued a request for proposals from consumer lending institutions interested in managing a new $1.25-million, zero-interest solar loan fund. According to MTC, the Renewable Energy...

Owens Corning Announces New Wind Turbine Fabric.
March 2, 2006... Owens Corning recently announced a new single-end roving and knitted fabric, dubbed WindStrand, that is designed to allow turbine manufacturers to increase blade lengths by up to six percent and deliver up to 12 percent more power for up to 20...

DynaMotive BioOil Certified by Canadian Eco-labeling Program.
March 2, 2006... DynaMotive Energy Systems Corporation recently announced that Environment Canada's Environmental Choice Program (ECP) has awarded the company's BioOil product its EcoLogo label, certifying BioOil as a renewable industrial liquid fuel for...

Pertamina, Para to Collaborate on New Geothermal Plants.
March 2, 2006... Dow Jones recently reported that Indonesia's state-run energy company Pertamina has signed a "preliminary agreement" with the private Indonesian firm Para Group to build geothermal power plants in South Sumatra, Lampung and West Java. ...

Evergreen Solar Announces Supply Contract With GRO.
March 2, 2006... Evergreen Solar, Inc. recently announced a multi-year supply contract with Global Resource Options, Inc. (GRO) of Vermont. According to Evergreen Solar, the company will ship an estimated $88 million worth of photovoltaic modules to GRO...

Green Mountain Energy Launches Carbon Reduction Service.
March 3, 2006... Green Mountain Energy Company, which offers residential, business, institutional and governmental customers the opportunity to support electricity generated from such renewable sources as wind, solar, water, geothermal and biomass, recently...

GreenFuel Appoints New VP of International Development.
March 3, 2006... Cambridge, MA-based emissions-to-biofuels conversion services provider GreenFuel Technologies Corporation recently announced the appointment of former board chairman Paul Rodzianko as the company's new vice president of international...

WorldWater, NAI Global Sign Agreement for Solar Energy Services.
March 3, 2006... WorldWater & Power Corporation recently announced an agreement to collaborate with New America Network, Inc. (d/b/a NAI Global, Inc.) on the delivery of solar energy services. According to WorldWater, the company will deliver solar power...

Weekly Update.
March 3, 2006... BUILDING ENERGY 06: THE CONFERENCE AND TRADE SHOW FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY AND GREEN BUILDING PROFESSIONALS, March 7-9, 2006, Seaport World Trade Center, Boston, MA RENEWABLE ENERGY FINANCE AND INVESTMENT SUMMIT: NAVIGATING OPPORTUNITIES &...

Aspen Skiing Company Offsets Electricity Use With Wind.
March 6, 2006... Aspen Skiing Company (ASC), which operates four ski mountains and two hotels in Colorado, recently announced plans to offset 100 percent of its electricity use via renewable energy certificates (RECs) generated from wind farms. According...

Environment Power, Microgy Sign Agreement for Biofuels Facility.
March 6, 2006... Environmental Power Corporation and its subsidiary Microgy, Inc. recently announced the signing of an agreement to build and operate a multi-digester biogas facility near Hereford, TX. According to Environmental Power, the facility, to be...

Renewable Ventures to Fund Up to $100 Million in Solar Projects.
March 6, 2006... Renewable Ventures, LLC recently announced its intent to fund up to $100 million in solar energy and other renewable energy projects across the U.S. According to Renewable Ventures, its first round of funding will focus on investment-grade...

Ventus Energy, Inc.
March 6, 2006... Toronto, Ontario-based Ventus Energy, Inc. is a wind farm developer that is currently developing more than 5,000 megawatts of potential wind projects on 25 sites in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland...

GE Energy Reports Record Year in Wind Power Sales.
March 7, 2006... GE Energy recently announced it delivered 1,346 wind turbines worldwide during 2005, completing the year with revenue exceeding $2 billion. According to GE Energy, revenue for 2005 represents an increase of more than 200 percent over the...

Solel Applies to Build New Solar Power Plant in Negev Desert.
March 7, 2006... Solel Solar Systems, Inc. recently announced it has applied to the Israel Electricity Authorities for a license to build and operate Israel's first-ever solar power plant in the Negev Desert. "Israel's environmental conditions are ideal for...

EU Energy, XRG Sign Wind Turbine Purchase Agreement.
March 7, 2006... EU Energy, Inc. recently announced it has entered into a master frame agreement with Exergy Development Group, LLC (XRG) for the purchase of up to 550 of its D8.2 wind turbines. Under the agreement, XRG retains the right to purchase the...

Barnabus, Greenpack to Codevelop IL Solar Housing Project.
March 8, 2006... Barnabus Energy, Inc. recently announced it will collaborate with Chicago-based developer Greenpack Construction to develop affordable residential housing in the city incorporating the company's solar electric tiles. According to Barnabus,...

DynaMotive, Consensus to Form Biomass Joint Venture.
March 8, 2006... DynaMotive Energy Systems Corporation recently announced the signing of an agreement to form a joint venture (JV) with Consensus Business Group to source, acquire, develop and monetize biomass assets on a global scale. According to...

Composite Technology Announces Plans to Acquire EU Energy.
March 8, 2006... Irvine, CA-based Composite Technology Corporation (CTC), a leading developer of high-temperature, low sag (HTLS) conductors for electric transmission and distribution lines, recently announced it has concluded a letter of intent with certain...

Napa Valley College Dedicates New Solar PV System.
March 8, 2006... PowerLight Corporation recently announced the dedication of a 1.2-megawatt solar photovoltaic (PV) system on the campus of Napa Valley College. According to PowerLight, the system will produce enough electricity to satisfy 40 percent of...

PG&E Adds Geothermal Power to Electric Mix.
March 9, 2006... Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) recently announced it has agreed to purchase up to 120 megawatts (MW) of renewable geothermal energy under a new contract with the Military Pass-Newberry Volcano Project, LLC. According to PG&E, the...

Melancthon I Wind Power Plant Begins Commercial Operations.
March 9, 2006... Canadian Hydro Developers, Inc. recently announced that its Melancthon I wind plant near Shelburne, Ontario commenced commercial operations earlier this month. According to Canadian Hydro, the 67.5-megawatt (MW) facility will sell all of...

Clean Edge Predicts Four-fold Rise in Solar, Wind by 2015.
March 9, 2006... Clean Edge, Inc. recently announced the release of a new report which projects that the markets for photovoltaics, wind energy, fuel cells and biofuels will expand four-fold in the next decade, growing from $40 billion in global revenues in...

Applied Materials to Participate in SVP Green Power Program.
March 10, 2006... Silicon Valley Power (SVP), the city of Santa Clara, CA's municipal electric utility, recently announced that Applied Materials, a Santa Clara-based leader in nanomanufacturing technology, has agreed to participate in SVP's Santa Clara Green...

Gamesa to Open New Manufacturing Centers in Pennsylvania.
March 10, 2006... Pennsylvania governor Edward Rendell recently announced that Spanish wind energy company Gamesa Corporation is expanding operations in the state by investing $34 million to open three new manufacturing centers on more than 20 acres of U.S....

EC Proposes Energy Strategy for Europe in New Green Paper.
March 10, 2006... The European Commission (EC) earlier this week outlined the basis for a European Energy Policy in a new Green Paper containing 20 specific suggestions for possible action. The commission identifies the introduction of a series of measures...

Vestas Receives Turbine Order From Agrupacion Eolica.
March 10, 2006... The Vestas Group recently announced an order from Spain's Agrupacion Eolica, S.L. for 45 of its two-megawatt V90 wind turbines. According to Vestas, the company will supply, install and commission the turbines, as well as provide...

Weekly Update.
March 10, 2006... RENEWABLE ENERGY FINANCE AND INVESTMENT SUMMIT: NAVIGATING OPPORTUNITIES & RISKS IN THE RENEWABLE FUEL & RENEWABLE POWER MARKETS, March 8-10, 2006, Pointe South Mountain Resort, Phoenix, AZ BIOENERGY AND WOOD PRODUCTS CONFERENCE:...

Westman Announces Plans to Develop Wind Projects in Manitoba.
March 13, 2006... Westman Wind Power Company recently announced plans to develop eight wind power projects in Manitoba. The projects, with a total estimated value of $1.5 billion, have an initial capacity of approximately 700 megawatts (MW) and a potential...

Microgy, Swift Sign LOI to Codevelop Biogas Facility in NE.
March 13, 2006... Environmental Power Corporation recently announced that its subsidiary Microgy, Inc. has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with fresh beef and pork products processor Swift & Company for the development of a biogas production facility at Swift's...

Sun Power & Geothermal Energy Changes Name to SPG Solar.
March 13, 2006... San Rafael, CA-based Sun Power & Geothermal Energy Company, Inc., a leader in the integrated development, design and construction of solar photovoltaic systems, recently announced the change of its name to SPG Solar, Inc. According to SPG,...

WWF Analyzes Costs and Benefits of Hydropower in Africa.
March 14, 2006... The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) recently announced the release of a new report published with Oxfam and WaterAid which reveals that hydropower has the potential to contribute to reducing Africa's energy poverty, but calls for a greater emphasis...

NREL, GE to Codevelop New Multi-Megawatt Offshore Wind Turbine.
March 14, 2006... The Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced that its National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has signed a $27-million, multi-year contract with General Electric (GE) to develop a new offshore wind power system over the next several...

Recording Artist Releases New Green-e Certified Album.
March 14, 2006... The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) recently joined with the Green-e program of the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) in announcing that rock musician Kelley Stoltz's new recording, titled "Below the Branches," has become the first...

QuestAir Recovers Methane From Vancouver Landfill.
March 15, 2006... QuestAir Technologies, Inc. recently announced that a demonstration project at a landfill site in Vancouver, British Columbia has begun upgrading landfill gas to methane suitable for injection into the natural gas distribution system. ...

Aqua Society Receives Order for Waste Heat Power System.
March 15, 2006... Aqua Society, Inc. recently announced that its subsidiary Aqua Society GmbH has been commissioned by Germany's Loick AG to supply and install a 295,000-euro (about $354,488) waste heat power generation system to produce electricity from the...

Xcel Energy Begins Solar Rebate Program in Colorado.
March 15, 2006... Xcel Energy recently announced that its customers in Colorado can now apply for the company's Solar Rewards rebate program. According to Xcel, customers are eligible for a rebate of $2 per watt of solar panels installed, up to 10 kilowatts....

Tasmanian Off-grid Project to Employ VRB Energy Storage System.
March 15, 2006... VRB Power Systems, Inc. recently announced the sale of a 10-kilowatt-hour VRB Energy Storage System (ESS) through its Australian distributor, Pinnacle VRB, Ltd., as part of an off-grid remote area power supply (RAPS) system for a 30-hectare...

U.S., China Launch New Wind Power Tool.
March 16, 2006... The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced the release of the new Geospatial Toolkit, a product designed to assist energy planners and wind developers in China's Hebei province in identifying the location of provincial wind...

MYA Group to Host Inaugural 'greenT Forum' in New York.
March 16, 2006... The MYA Group will host the inaugural "greenT Forum: Raising the Bar for Voluntary Environmental Carbon Markets" on May 1 and 2 at the McGraw Hill Conference Center in New York, NY. The forum will open the morning of Monday, May 1, with a...

Cornell to Auction Solar Decathlon-winning House.
March 16, 2006... Cornell University recently announced plans to auction its student-built Solar Decathlon house next month. According to Cornell, the house, which was awarded second place in the Department of Energy's (DOE) decathlon competition last...

Northern Power to Provide PV Systems for NJ Supermarkets.
March 17, 2006... Northern Power recently announced it has been awarded a contract to provide three 250-kilowatt photovoltaic (PV) systems for Pathmark supermarkets in Garwood, Elizabeth and Lawnside, NJ. According to Northern Power, the design and...

Clemson, Santee Cooper to Collaborate on Campus PV System.
March 17, 2006... South Carolina's state-owned electric and water utility Santee Cooper recently announced it has entered into a partnership with Clemson University to implement solar energy technology at the Flour-Daniel Engineering Innovation Building (EIB),...

Jacobs Subsidiary Wins Scottish Hydropower Plant Contract.
March 17, 2006... Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc. recently announced that a subsidiary company has been awarded a contract to provide a range of services for the Glendoe hydroelectric power plant, which will be built in Scotland by Scottish and Southern Energy...

New Survey Reveals U.S. Geothermal Power Poised to Double.
March 17, 2006... The Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) recently released the results of a new survey which indicate a major surge in the development of geothermal power projects in the U.S., with the approximately 45 projects currently underway having the...

Weekly Update.
March 17, 2006... FINANCING RENEWABLE ENERGY: MARKET OUTLOOK, SUPPORT AND POLICY, March 20-21, 2006, Doubletree Guest Suites, Chicago, IL CLEANTECH VENTURE FORUM IX, March 21-23, 2006, Downtown Marriott, San Francisco, CA NYSERDA'S 6TH INNOVATIONS IN...

NREL Releases Annual Ranking of Green Power Programs.
March 20, 2006... The Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently released its annual ranking of leading utility green power programs, under which consumers can choose to help support additional electricity production from...

Sterling Planet Supplies Renewable Energy to U.S. Air Force.
March 20, 2006... Sterling Planet recently announced it is supplying the U.S. Air Force with 530 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy. "This past fiscal year the Air Force purchased more then 1,059 gigawatt-hours of renewable energy," said Air Force...

Vestas Receives Turbine Order for New Zealand Wind Farm.
March 20, 2006... The Vestas Group recently announced it has received an order for the supply, installation and commissioning of 29 of its V80-2.0 megawatt wind turbines at the White Hill wind farm on New Zealand's South Island. According to Vestas, the...

EPV to Supply Solar Module Manufacturing Plant in Portugal.
March 21, 2006... Princeton, NJ-based Energy Photovoltaics, Inc. (EPV) recently announced it has joined in the creation of Solar Plus, S.A., a new joint venture (JV) company in Lisbon, Portugal. According to EPV, the JV, which is valued at more than $20...

FirstEnergy to Purchase Power From West Virginia Wind Projects.
March 21, 2006... FirstEnergy recently announced it has entered into 20-year agreements to purchase power generated at the 150-megawatt (MW) Mt. Storm and 100-MW Liberty Gap wind projects, both of which are being developed in West Virginia by US Wind Force, LLC...

South African Sawmill Considers Green Power Plant Installation.
March 21, 2006... Local South African newspaper Cape Argus reported last week that Cape Sawmills, Ltd. has unveiled plans to install a new wood-fired electricity generation plant at its timber processing facility in Stellenbosch, Western Cape. According to...

Vestas Receives New Wind Turbine Orders for Spain, France.
March 21, 2006... The Vestas Group recently announced it has received new turbine orders for wind power projects in Spain and France. According to the company, Spanish wind farm developer Eolica del Ebro S.A. has placed an order for 10 of the company's...

Energy Trust Issues RFP for Wind Projects in Oregon.
March 22, 2006... Energy Trust of Oregon, Inc. issued earlier this month a request for proposals (RFP) for community wind projects in the state with a capacity of up to 10 megawatts. According to Energy Trust, eligible projects must be able to arrange a...

Brockton, MA Signs PV System Contract With Global Solar.
March 22, 2006... Brockton, MA mayor James Harrington recently signed a contract with Global Solar Energy, Inc. for the construction of a new solar array at a remediated brownfield site in the city. According to Harrington, Global Solar and its partners will...

International Law Firm Launches New Climate & Energy Group.
March 22, 2006... Brown Rudnick Berlack Israels, LLP, an international law firm with offices in the U.S. and Europe, recently announced the establishment of a new Climate & Energy Group to help serve the needs of the green energy and carbon reduction markets....

Santee Cooper Announces Dedication of New Methane Power Plant.
March 23, 2006... Santee Cooper recently announced the dedication of a new generating station at Waste Management, Inc.'s 124-acre Richland County Landfill near Elgin, SC. According to Santee Cooper, methane gas produced by decomposing waste fuels a...

DayStar Technologies Creates New Operating Division.
March 23, 2006... Photovoltaic products developer and manufacturer DayStar Technologies, Inc. recently announced the creation of a new operating division, dubbed the Equipment Development Group, and the leasing of an existing 50,000-square-foot facility in Santa...

Planet Organic to Purchase Wind Energy From Pembina Institute.
March 23, 2006... Canadian natural and organic supermarket chain Planet Organic Markets recently announced it has signed an agreement to purchase 24 megawatts of wind power from the Pembina Institute. According to Planet Organic, energy from the purchase,...

Ontario Sets New Standard Price for Renewable Energy.
March 23, 2006... Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty recently announced the institution of a fixed price for small renewable energy projects that is expected to help the province add up to 1,000 megawatts of power in the next 10 years. "We're taking a bold new...

Members of Congress Seek Increased Funding for Renewables.
March 24, 2006... In a letter delivered this week to the members of the House of Representatives' Committee on Appropriations, 71 congressional representatives call for increased support for the Department of Energy's (DOE) sustainable energy programs. In...

Green Power EMC to Purchase GA Chicken Litter Power.
March 24, 2006... Green Power EMC, a Georgia-based partnership of 28 electric membership corporations (EMCs), recently announced it will purchase 20 megawatts of electricity from a chicken litter-to-energy plant to be built near Carnesville, GA. According...

OrionSolar Marks Milestone With $1-million Funding.
March 24, 2006... OrionSolar Photovoltaics, Ltd. recently announced it has completed development of an advanced second-generation photovoltaic solar energy cell, which is designed to reduce the cost of producing solar electricity with polycrystalline silicon...

Weekly Update.
March 24, 2006... NYSERDA'S 6TH INNOVATIONS IN AGRICULTURE CONFERENCE, March 29-30, 2006, NYS Fairgrounds, Syracuse, NY GLOBE 2006: 9TH BIENNIAL TRADE FAIR & CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS & THE ENVIRONMENT, March 29-31, 2006, Vancouver Convention & Exhibition...

WA County Executive Orders Increased Use of Renewables.
March 27, 2006... King County, WA executive Ron Sims launched last week an "Acting Locally" package of initiatives designed to combat climate change through the signing of a series of executive orders directing county departments to make "significant"...

SunPower Earns TUV Certification for Solar Panels.
March 27, 2006... SunPower Corporation recently announced that its SPR-220 WHT, SPR-215 BLK and SPR-95 WHT solar modules have been earned TUV Rheinland Group certification to International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61215, Edition 2 standards. ...

Vitasti to Develop Wind Power Project in China.
March 27, 2006... Vitasti, Inc. recently announced it has entered into negotiations and signed a letter of interest (LOI) with Welwind Energy International Corporation (WEI) of Calgary, Alberta Canada for the development of up to 1,200 megawatts (MW) of wind...

New Study Reveals U.S. Support for Ocean Energy.
March 27, 2006... The Foundation for Ocean Renewables (FOR), a newly formed non-governmental organization, recently announced that a new survey conducted by Opinion Dynamics Corporation reveals that while nearly half of the 900 respondents contacted by phone...

U.S., Mexico to Collaborate on Capture, Reuse of Methane.
March 28, 2006... The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced it has joined the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in signing a letter of cooperation with Mexico's Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) to...

Western Wind, Mitsubishi Sign Turbine Supply Agreement.
March 28, 2006... Western Wind Energy recently announced it has executed a new turbine supply agreement with Mitsubishi Power Systems. Under the agreement, Mitsubishi Power Systems will initially supply Western Wind with 15 one-megawatt (MW) MHIA 1000A...

NanoLogix Announces Completion of Hydrogen Bioreactor.
March 28, 2006... NanoLogix, Inc. recently announced that the company has completed construction of its first commercial hydrogen bioreactor facility at a Welch's Food plant in northeast Pennsylvania. The company also announced that the facility will begin...

DOE Announces Swearing-in of New Assistant Secretary, EERE.
March 29, 2006... The Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced it has sworn in former Enercorp, LLC managing director Alexander Karsner as its new assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy (EERE). According to DOE, Karsner will be...

Ormat Reports Fourth-quarter, Year-end Financial Results.
March 29, 2006... Sparks, NV-based Ormat Technologies, Inc., a company primarily engaged in the geothermal and recovered energy power business, recently announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2005, reporting a...

CES Looks to Build New Small Wind Farm in Maine.
March 29, 2006... Local Maine newspaper the Portland Press Herald reported earlier this month that Portland-based energy provider Competitive Energy Services (CES) has applied to the town of Freedom, ME to build three 1.5-megawatt wind turbines on a nearby...

Austin, TX City Council to Help Fund Clean Energy Incubator.
March 29, 2006... Clean Energy Incubator (CEI), a nonprofit organization focused on advancing clean energy initiatives, recently announced that the City Council of Austin, TX, in collaboration with the City of Austin and Austin Energy, has voted to provide the...

BWEA Predicts 50-percent Increase in Onshore Wind by 2010.
March 30, 2006... The British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) recently published a new report which predicts that by the end of the decade, the onshore wind power industry will generate 50 percent more electricity than previously predicted, with 6,000 megawatts...

Evergreen, Donauer Solartechnik Sign Distribution Agreement.
March 30, 2006... Evergreen Solar, Inc. recently announced it has entered into a multi-year supply contract with German-based solar power distributor Donauer Solartechnik under which Evergreen will ship approximately $125 million of photovoltaic modules to...

Latest Version of SBIC Software Features New PV Module.
March 30, 2006... The Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) recently announced the release of Version 1.8 of its ENERGY-10 software, which helps builders identify the best combination of nearly one dozen energy-efficient strategies, including daylighting...

WhiteWave Purchases RECs to Offset Impact of CA Trade Show.
March 31, 2006... WhiteWave Foods Company (WWFC) recently purchased renewable energy credits (RECs) from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation to offset the environmental impact associated with operating the Anaheim Convention Center during last week's Natural...

SCHOTT to Build Solar Module Production Facility in Germany.
March 31, 2006... SCHOTT recently announced it will invest 60 million euros (approximately $72 million) to enable its subsidiary SCHOTT Solar, Inc. to build a new manufacturing facility for thin-film solar electricity modules in Jena, Germany. According to...

Darnell to Host Distributed and Cogeneration Conference in TN.
March 31, 2006... Darnell Group, Inc. will host the third international conference on Power Electronics for Distributed and Cogeneration (PEDAC '06) on May 22 through 24 at the Crowne Plaza in Knoxville, TN. EPRI Solutions is co-sponsoring the conference, the...